Welcome to The Asiatic Society

The Asiatic Society, Kolkata is the oldest institution of learning in India and has made a seminal contribution in the revival of Indian history and heralding its renaissance. It was founded by Sir William Jones, a revered philologist and scholar of Anglo-Welsh descent on 15 January, 1784 in a meeting held at the Grand Jury Hall of the Supreme Court, Calcutta.  

Sir William Jones (1746-1794) joined the Calcutta Supreme Court as a Puisne Judge in 1783. It was Sir Jone’s idea to set up a regular organisation for Oriental studies. Warren Hastings, the then Governor General, himself  was deeply interested in Indian classical languages and literature. A group of Company officials were also quite actively involved in oriental studies.  Therefore Jones's idea was implemented very easily. 

On 15 January, 1784, thirty such interested Europeans met in the Grand Jury Room of the Supreme Court at Calcutta and adopted the proposal of Jones for founding the institution, "The Asiatick Society"

“The Bound of investigations will be the geographic limits of Asia, and within these limits its enquiries will be extended to whatever is performed by man or produced by nature” – a statement contained in the Memorandum of Articles of the Asiatic Society  was prepared by Sir William Jones in that historic  meeting. Thus began the long journey of the Asiatic Society, Kolkata.